Tie-plate



July 5, 1932- L. B. ARMSTRONG A 1,865,452

TIE PLATE Filed May '7, 1931 2/ /6 22 24 /5' '3 f 5 /4 of fr nl', Y l

FZ7. 5 INVENTOR fg? EW z5. )9H/vs Div/va ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED PATENT OFFICE-j LEVI B. ARMSTRONG, F cHIcAGoQQILLnvjoIs, `assrepnon 'ro THE LUNnrE ENGINEER- p Y ING `coi-mona:non or Nnwfyoax, N. acoaroim'rlon or N EW Yom! t Application msapivrayf; 193i.` 'senat ne; 535,738.

The present invention relates to tie plates which are adapted more especially, buti not necessarily, Vfor use in connection with heavy railroad" rails as,` for V example, 1 what are known. as one hundred and ten pound rails, and even heavier rails than that. It is ofthe utmost importance that as rails become heavier and trains heavier and speedier, that the factor of safety be properly takencase of, so as not toendanger the lives of those who travel lto tieplates having relatively short steps at the under side, and particularly in connection with such short steps as contrasted with long steps, Vnot precluded by the present invenfon, the improved tie plate possesses specific advantages as follows: Y f

The plate is provided with Vpronounced 'transverse ribs which may be yreadilyv embedded into the tie by a few blows with 'a sledge hammer so that the'plate isinitially held against shifting longitudinally of the tie. Y -Y Such pronounced ribs are located atrcritical points of stress in the tie plate, so that one of the ribsA is located'underthe rail abutting shoulder and the otherlunder the inner edge of the base of the rail,I the` greatest stresses `or strains being receivedv atthese points. .40

There is a greater bearing area at the bot'- Itom of the tie plate, with a viewto'resisting the slipping or sluing of the' plate and to hold the gauge better.

Excessive or rapid settlement of 'the plate into theti'e'isretarded, thereby permitting `a more uniform seating. A By reason offthe pronounced ribs, the improved plate -is'read- 'ily adaptable tothe prfac'ticehof'pregrooving -or adzing `the tie, `which?practice4 prevails with some railroads for ribs of this kgeneral fferred wherein plate; and

type, as `suchpractice permits a substantial full bearing of the bottom of the plate upon the tie immediately it is applied thereto. y .The addition of the pronounced ribs tothe plate `aids in the economy of rolling as they y prevent theV bar of metalf-rom slipping in the rolls, thereby promoting greater pro-` duction.

``Whilesuch a plate with the Vpronounced ribs referred to iswell adapted to plates with relatively long steps, the plate with shorter steps is stronger on account of extendingV to the'main bearing'plane of the plate to the extent'of four times in a given area, (five and one-half inches) as againstV twice that in .f

vplatesfwith long steps. Also on account of the greater number of points of contact with the tie'and the additional inclined andA upwardly extending seating planes,'a greater `resistance to .slipping is providedrand the plateis held to gauge better. Furthermore, Y

the Yshorter steps afford more resistance to tthe excessive settlement of the plate intofthe tie on accountiof the additional points of contact provided at the bottom of the plate. l

The/above being among the objects of the :present invention, the same consistsof certam Afeatures of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter specifically described, andthen claimed, withvreference .tothe `accompanying drawing showing a preembodiment of the invention and vFigurell is longitudinal sectionof a portionof a Wooden tie, a longitudinal section -of theimproved Vtie plate and a transverse section of the base of a rail, these being all shown in assembled relation .liig. V2 is a bottom plan of the improved Fig. 8 is a View representing in full lines the prile of the under surface of theplate andy in dottedlinesa horizontal `plane with respect towhichthe profile is contrasted.

i, f Inzthefdrawing there-is shown as resting uponthe improved tie plate l() a rail 11 which extends transversely thereof, thetop l2 of the -plate ,being shown as'slightly inclined downwardly and .inwardly from Vthe .transverse rail .abutting shoulder 13, so that .the rail may be canted inwardly in coordination with the bevels of the car wheels. The plate illustrated is of the flat type, but if desired it may also be cambered.

lThe outer end portion 14 of the plate 10 and the inner end portion 15 thereof are inclined downwardly at their upper surfaces and the under surfaces thereof are formed as flat. At the under side of the plate are two pronounced ribs 16, 17 which extend transversely thereof and which are preferably rounded so as not to tend to destroy and break the fibres of the tie. and parallel with the rail abutting shoulder 13, and is therefore of narrow width, but provides a maximum thickness to the plate in the Zone of greatest normal stress. The other rib 17 is parallel with rib 16 and is located so as to extend transversely of the plate, along a zone of narrow width directly below the in ner edge of the rail 11, so as to take care of the pronounced thrust upon the plate along such line. It will therefore be seen that the fiat inclined upper surface 12 of the plate is located so as to be defined by, or between, the vertical planes Vof the rounded edges of the ribs 16, 17.

The plate is provided with spike holes 18, 19, the holes 18 passing through the shoulder 13 for'its entire width, and through the outer 'half of the pronounced transverse rib 16. The spike holes 19 pass through the thicker part of the end portion 15 and through the outer half of the rib 17, so that the spi-king of the tie plate to a tie takes place alongthe lines which are subjected to the greatest stress.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the under surfaces of the end portions 14, 15 of the plate are plain or substantially so, while betweenthe transverse ribs 16, 17 the bottom of the plate, at points directly under the inclined rail seatingportion 12, is

provided with what are usually known as ,steps 'In the present embodiment of the .invention each of the steps is formed with a surface which is inclined downwardly from th-e railV abutting shouldery 13 and there are preferably approximately five of these in- V-clined surfaces 20, 21, 22, 23 and 124, soi'that short steps are produced by means of shoulders 25. It will be seen that theinclined surfaces 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 are joined together by means of ogee curves which connect the :adjoining inclined surfaces byv in-curves which define slightly' rounded lower portions for the shoulders 25.

These so formed steps at the middle portion of the bottom of the tie plate provide a plurality of alternately arranged `ridges and furrows which extend transversely of the plate, but are of a waved outline longitudinally of the plate, and they are disposed above the bottom plane of the transversely extend- Ving narrow portions 16, 17, ,of the plate, for the purpose of. interlocking the plate :with

Rib 16 is located under' the tie to prevent longitudinal shifting. Looking at the so described steps in a different manner it may be stated that they are of general saw-toothed shape, the shoulders of the saw-toothed portions facing away from the rib 16. Preferably the inclined surfaces 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24C merge gradually with the lower edges of the shoulders, and extend downwardly in a general direction away from the outer end of the plate.

The tie plate shown and described is therefore, provided with rounded transverse portions or ribs 16, 17 which extend below the main plane of the bottom of the plate. rlhe main plane of the plate lies at the tips or rounded lower surfaces of shoulders 25. A tie plate wherein the' transverse portions or ribs 16, 17 are located live and one-half inches apart, or greater distances apart, and with relation to the rail-abutting shoulder 13, so as to apply to the various sections or weights of rail which the plate is to receive, has a number of advantages, some of which have been referred to. These are the following: It may be inserted in the grooves of railroad ties which are pregrooved, as the practice is with some railroads, or it gives an immediate small area contact between the tie plate and tie when the ties are not pregrooved, the plate being thereby pinned to the tie until suicient train loads have passed to embed the rounded pronounced portions or ribs `and prevent longitudinal slipping; a substantial anchorage of the plate to the tie is provided directly underneath the rail base; the entrance of water and moisture under'- neath the plate, directly under the base of the rail, is reduced to a minimum, if not entirely precluded, thus preventing deterioration and prolonging the life of the tie, so as to lessen, the at present frequent tie renewals and to reduce the expense; it meets the requirements of railroad engineers by locating between the pronounced ribs the seats which are formed for anchoring the tie plate to the 1 tie, as such engineers desire the anchorage in that location; between the ribs there is less strain in the plate, and metal can be saved more safely without iinpairing the strength of the plate, thus making for a more economical and less expensive plate; the insertion ofthe pronounced ribs in preformed grooves in the tie permits approximately a full bearing of the plate on the tie immediately upon its application thereto, not requiring successive passages of trains to embed the plate for a full contact between it and the tie; and such ribs 16, 17 will hold the bar from which the plates are made from slipping during the rolling of the plates, permitting greater production and economy in rolling.

The vstepped portions do not necessarily have their inclined tie bearing surfaces parallel with the .top of the plate; and also the iT degree of inclination of the inclined tie bearing surfaces may vary. Thus, inthe drawing, the surfaces 2O and 24 are inclined to a less degree than the other inclined bearing surfaces. The inclination of the inclined surfaces 20 and 24 is intended to be shown as .094 degrees and the inclination of the surfaces 21, 22 and 23 to be .156 degrees, as these have been found to be the preferred inclinations of such surfaces in actual practice. The less inclination of the surfaces 20, 24 takes care of any excessive strain at these two points. The greater inclination of the bearing surfaces 21, 22 and 23- reduces the weight of the plate and gives a greater holding power against the plate slipping longitudinally on the tie. f

What I claim as new is: Y

1. A tie plate having pronounced transverse bottom ribs positioned so as to be located below the edges of a rail which is to rest on the plate, and also having, between the ribs a transverse series of shoulders and inclined surfaces intervening between the shoulders and between the ribs and the shoulders next to them, the inclined surfaces merging gradually with the lower edges of the shoulders and with the pronounced ribs, and the inclines extending downwardly in one general ldirection away from one end of the plate.

2. A tie plate having pronounced transverse bottom ribs positioned so as to be located below the edges of a rail which is to rest on the plate, and also having, between the ribs, a transverse series of shoulders and inclined surfaces intervening between the shoulders and between the ribs and the shoulders next to them, the inclined surfaces merging gradually with the lower edges of the shoulders, and the inclines extending downwardly in one general direction away from one end of the plate and being in the proportion of about three of them to one as compared with the length of one end of the plate from the place of location of the pronounced rib adjacent such end.

3. A tie plate having pronounced transverse bottom ribs positioned-so as to be located below the edges of a rail which is to rest on the plate, and also having, betweenthe ribs, a transverse series of shoulders and inclined surfaces intervening between the shoulders and between the ribs and the shoulders next to them, the inclined surfaces merging gradually with the lower edges of the shoulders, and the inclines being approximately five in number to provide relatively short steps, and extending downwardly in one general 'direction away from one end of the plate.

4. A tie plate having near each end a rounded transverse rib extending below the main plane of the plate, and also having ultimate anchoring means located between the ribs and including a plurality of downward seating portions which terminate in a horizontal plane constituting such main plane.

5. A tie plate having near each end a rounded transverse rib extending below the main plane of the plate, and also having ultimate anchoring means located between the ribs and including a plurality of downwardl seating portions which terminate in a horizontal plane constituting such main plane, and the plate having an upper rail-abutting shoulder parallel with and located directly over one of the ribs.

6. A tie plate having near each end a rounded transverse rib extending below the main plane of the plate, and also having ultimate anchoring means located between the ribs and including a plurality of downward seating portions which terminate in a horizontal plane constituting such main plane, the seating portions having wide inclined surfaces wiich extend downwardly toward one of the ri s.

7. A tie plate having near each end a rounded transverse rib extending below the main plane of the plate, and also having ultimate anchoring means located between the ribs and including a plurality of downward seating portions which terminate in a horizontal plane constituting such main pla-ne, the seating portions having wide inclined surfaces which extend downwardly toward one of the ribs, and some of the inclined surfaces being at a 4different inclination from the others.

8. A tie plate having near each end a rounded transverse rib extending below the main plane of the plate, and also having ultimate anchoring means located between the ribs and including a plurality of downward seating portions which terminate in a horizontal plane constituting such main plane, the seating portions having wide inclined surfaces which extend downwardly toward one of the ribs, and the outermost inclined surfaces being at a less inclination to the horizontal than those between them.

LEVI B. ARMSTRONG. 

